Instrument for dental care



July 6, 1965 A. WINKLER INSTRUMENT FOR DENTAL CARE Filed March 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In vehlor Hum/wen A nv/(L ER MM'QM A ttorn q-ya' y 6, 1965 A. WINKLER 3,192,922

INSTRUMENT FOR DENTAL GARE Filed March 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor flu-xmwa-k A/lN/(AER ykmwmlgil United States Patent 3,192,922 INSTRUMENT FOR DENTAL CARE Alexander Winkler, 12 Ness Ziona St., Tel Aviv, Israel Filed Mar. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 130,640 6 Ciaims. (Cl. 128-62) The present invention relates to an instrument for use in dental care. More particularly the instrument is intended for use by persons who, under instruction of a dental surgeon or dentist, have to subject their teeth or gums to curative or preventive treatment.

It is the object of the invention to provide an instrument for the treatment of teeth which can be used in domestic establishments, without medical or technical supervision, and which is simple in construction so as to present no technical problems or diificulties to the ordinary user of such as instrument. While the instrument has been devised mainly for use for preventive and curative purposes, it can also be used for the daily cleaning of the teeth.

According to the invention there is provided an instrument comprising in combination a housing in the shape of a hand-piece which includes a rotating treating member (which term is meant to relate to a member which is brought into direct contact with the teeth or gums, such as a brush, a yielding massagingbody such as a rubber piece or the like more), a drive for the said member and a receptacle for a curative substance or treating material, as well as means for admitting water under pressure into the instrument.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the drive is constituted by a water wheel and part of the water emerge ing from the wheel is admitted into the hand-piece and ejected therefrom through or near the rotating treating member. I

These and further features of the invention will become clear from the following description which refers to the annexed drawings. In the drawings FIG. 1 shows by way of example a practical embodiment of the new device in an axial section. FIG. 2 is a section on line lI-II of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate modifications of the new device.

The new device comprises a tubular housing including an elongated tubular handpiece 1 and a solid body 2 fitted into its forward part, the solid body 2 having several bores, as will be described. At the rear of handpiece 1 there is aifixed to it the housing 3 of a water wheel. The housing 3 has an inlet 4 which can be connected by a hose 5 to a tap of the water supply. An outlet 6 leads into the open from casing 3. A hose 7 can be led from outlet 6 to a sink or the like. Within housing 3 is provided a water wheel 8 having vanes 8'. To the hub of the water Wheel 8 is aifixed a shaft 9 extending throughout the length of handpiece 1 and through a central bore of body 2. At the end of shaft 9 there is provided a bevelled wheel 10 meshing with another like wheel 11 and forming a gear which comprises a hollow shaft 12 which is located in the central bore of a plug-like member 13 screwed into the open end of body 2, substantially at right angles to the main portion thereof and to the extension of handpiece 1.

The space within housing 3 around the water-wheel 8 is filled with drive-water under pressure and part of it can flow through a bore 14 in the hub 8 into a space 15 which extends around the rear end of shaft 9. Shaft 9 is enclosed in a sleeve 16 keeping distance from the walls thereof. Thus an annular space is formed around the shaft within the sleeve 16 which is also filled with water under pressure. The sleeve 16 has several holes 17 through which the water can enter into an annular chamber 18, to flow through a bore 19 into the forward end 3,192,922 Patented July 6, 1965 "ice of member 2 which forms a chamber and encloses the bevel/gear 10-11. The shaft 12 is hollow so that the water through it can reach a treating member 20, exchangeably afiixed to the said shaft 12. The outer wall of chamber 18. is formed by yielding material, say rubber, which forms a sleeve 21 partitioning the space between sleeve 16 and the outer wall of handpiece 1 to form two chambers, annular chamber 18 and another annular chamber 22. At the outside the annular chamber 22 is delimited by the wall of handpiece 1. Inthe said wall an opening is provided closable by a screwedin plug 23. The chamber 22 extends thus around chamber 18 and in view of the resiliency of wall 21 is subject to 'the pressure prevailing in chamber 18. From the chamber 22 arbore 24 leads through member 2 into the space in the forward end of member 2. The bore 24 extends in parallel with bore 19 and both lead into the same forward chamber around the bevel gear. Both ducts 19 and 24 can be controlled by cocks 19a and 24a, respectively.

The new instrument functions as follows: The device is connected with a water main by the hose 5 which-is slipped onto an ordinary tap e.g. in the bathroom or kitchen of the house. Water immediately sets into mo tion the water wheel 8 and at the same time part of the water flows through bore 14, sleeve 16, holes 17, cham ber 18, bore 19 through shaft 12 and through the treating member 20, from the tip of which it is ejected as a fine jet. The treating member 20 is in rotation and the device is held to the teeth or their interstices or the gums which are thus subject to a mechanical treatment combined with'a liquid spray. For cleaning purposes this spray may be, purerwater. Where the treatment is curative, the admixture of a medical, disinfecting or curative substance might be required or advised. This substance is filled into chamber 22 and can flow through bore 24 into the chamber] space around the bevel gear where it mixes with the water to be ejected.-

Bore 19 formsa duct which enables at least part of the water passing from inlet 5 through the water wheel to be diverted to the forward chamber containing gears 10 and 11. The path of the water so diverted is shielded from chamber 22 (containing the treating material). by sleeve 21. Cocks 19a and 24a provide adjustable means for regulating the amount of water and treating material, respectively, passing into the forward chamber. The water and the treating material mix in the forward chamher and emerge from the housing through treating member 20, or at another point near the treating member.

It isthus seen that the liquid emerging from the treating member 20 may be conveniently regulated so that it consists of only the water, or only the treating material, or any desired mixture ratio between the two. For example the dentist (or personal user) may first wish to apply pure treating material, or treating material diluted with a pre-determined quantity of water, and then may wish to rinse the mouth with pure water, all of which may be easily accomplished members 19aand 24a.

Furthermore, the spray can be adjusted by means of the tap to which the device is connected.

Necessarygaskets and packingsare provided in the instrument and need not be described in detail. The chamber at the forward part of the device con taining gears 10 and 11 thus forms a mixing chamber which can be selectively fed from water chamber 18 and treating material chamber 22 by appropriately adjusting cocks 19a and 24a.

The treating member 20 may be a brush or a small pointed hollow rubber finger with which the gums at the neck of the tooth or the interstices of the teeth may by appropriately adjusting be massaged and cleaned. Any other suitable rotating treating member or tool may be employed.

It would be within the scope of the invention to provide the Water wheel in its housing coaxially with the treating tool, thus dispensing with a bevel gear. Such an arrangement is shown in H6. 3. While the admixture of a curative liquid in the manner described is preferable, since in this construction the curative liquid is under the pressure of the mains, it would of course be possible to provide a small vessel 25 (see FIG. 4) on the housing of the rotating tool and have the curative substance flow onto the treating member either by gravity or being entrained by the flowing water in an injector like manner.

It would also be within the scope of the invention to provide the outlet for the water around the treating member instead of leading it therethrough, it being only important with respect to this feature'that the outside be near the treating surfaces of the treating member.

What I claim is:

1. An instrument for the treatment of the teeth by means of a treating member, comprising: a housing; a treating member extending from the housing; a water drive for driving said treating member; an inlet port for admitting water under pressure into the housing for driving said water drive; a mixing chamber; a path through said housing for the flow of water from said Water drive through said mixing chamber and out of the housing at a point near the treating surfaces of the treating member; means enabling at least a part of the water from the water drive to be diverted to said path; a treating material chamber adapted to contain a treating material; means shielding said'treating material chamber from said path of the water; and means providing communication between said treating material chamber and said mixing chamber so as to enable said treating material to mix in said mixing chamber with the Water passing through said mixing chamber.

2. An instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said treating material chamber is formed within said housing and said shielding means includes a sleeve disposed in said housing shielding said treating material chamber from the path of the diverted water, said sleeve being made of yielding material and serving to force out some of the treating material from the treating material chamher when water is diverted to said path.

3. An instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said treating material chamber is formed in a separate vessel attached to said housing so as to communicate with said mixing chamber.

4. An instrument for the treatment of the teeth by means of a treating member, comprising: a tubular housing; a treating member extending from one end of the housing; a water wheel drive for rotating said treating member; an inlet port for admitting water under pres sure into the housing for driving said water drive; an outlet port for discharging said water after it has passed said water Wheel drive; a mixing chamber; a path through said housing for the flow of water from said water drive through said mixing chamber and out of the housing at a point near the treating surfaces of the treating member; means enabling at least a part of the Water from the water drive to'be diverted to said path; a treating material chamber adapted to contain a treating material; means shielding said treating material chamber from said path of the water; and means providing communication between said treating material chamber and said mixing chamber so as to enable said treating material to mix in said mixing chamber with the water passing through said mixing chamber.

5. An instrument for the treatment of the teeth by means of a treating member, comprising: a housing; a treating member extending from the housing; a water drive for rotating said treating member; an inlet port for admitting water under pressure into the housing for driving said water drive; a mixing chamber in said housing; a path through said housing for the flow of water from said water drive through said mixing chamber and out of the housing ata point near the treating surfaces of the treating member; means enabling a part of the water from the water drive to be diverted to said path; an adjustable member for regulating the amount of water diverted to said path; a treating material chamber adapted to contain a treating material; means shielding said treating material chamber from said path of the water; means providing communication between said treating material chamber and said mixing chamber so as to enable said treating material to mix in said mixing chamber with the water passing through said mixing chamber; and an adjustable member for regulating the amount of treating material passing into said mixing chamber.

6. An instrument for the treatment of the teeth by means of a treating member, comprising: a tubular housing; a treating member extending from one end of the housing; a water drive wheel located at the opposite end of the housing; a shaft extending longitudinally through said housing and coupled to said drive wheel and said treating member for rotating said treating member; an inlet port for admitting water under pressure into the housing for driving said water drive wheel; a mixing chamber formed in said housing and being opened to the outside of said housing at a point near the treating surfaces of said treating member; a sleeve extending longitudinally of part of said housing and dividing said part of the housing into a treating material chamber and a water chamber; said water chamber communicating with said inlet port; a first duct between said mixing and water chambers and enabling at least part of the water to be diverted from said water chamber to said mixing chamber, a member adjustable in said duct for regulating the amount of water so diverted; said treating material chamber being adapted to contain a treating material and said sleeve shielding said treating material chamber and the treating material therein from the diverted water; a second duct communicating between said treating material chamber and said mixing chamber so as to enable said treating material to mix in said mixing chamber with the water passing through said mixing chamber; and an adjustable member disposed in said second duct for regulating the amount of treating material passing into said mixing chamber.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,381,221 6/21 Oves 15-24 1,479,272 1/24 Young 1529 1,604,500 10/26 Tannenbaum 1529 2,019,705 11/35 Hubert 1529 X 2,093,007 9/37 Chott.

2,226,145 12/40 Smith 1529 2,283,314 5/42 Ckola.

2,400,912 5/46 Britt et al 32-26 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 0

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner, 

1. AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE TEETH BY MEANS OF A TREATING MEMBER, COMPRISING: A HOUSING; A TREATING MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE HOUSING; A WATER DRIVE FOR DRIVING SAID TREATING MEMBER; AN INLET PORT FOR ADMITTING WATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE HOUSING FOR DRIVING SAID WATER DRIVE; A MIXING CHAMBER; A PATH THROUGH SAID HOUSING FOR THE FLOW OF WATER FROM SAID WATER DRIVE THROUGH SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND OUT OF THE HOUSING AT A POINT NEAR THE TREATING SURFACES OF THE TREATING MEMBER; MEANS ENABLING AT LEAST A PART OF THE WATER FROM THE WATER DRIVE TO BE DIVERTED TO SAID PATH; A TREATING MATERIAL CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A TREATING MATERIAL; MEANS SHIELDING SAID TREATING MATERIAL CHAMBER FROM SAID PATH OF THE WATER; AND MEANS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID TREATING MATERIAL CHAMBER AND SAID MIXING CHAMBER SO AS TO ENABLE SAID TREATING MATERIAL TO MIX IN SAID MIXING CHAMBER WITH THE WATER PASSING THROUGH SAID MIXING CHAMBER. 